‘Wellness Together’ hosts self-care day to help combat employee burnout

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, The California Wellness Foundation partnered with Our Own to organize a wellness event called “Wellness Together” that focused on providing self-care, collective renewal and healing to many of their partner organizations. 

The in-person event, which took place at Compound in Long Beach, was a way of supporting grantee partners by creating a space for rest, restoration and connection. CALÓ News staff was invited to attend the event as a partnering organization through the Latino Media Collaborative.  

“Wellness Together” was the first in-person event, following a series of virtual events that similarly focused on mental health and wellness. Hundreds of participants were in attendance, enjoying the food and services available. The event featured a variety of activities, including chair massages, yoga sessions, sound baths, flower bouquet crafting and the opportunity to create personalized shea body butter. Facilitators curated a space that allowed attendees to connect with the community and step away from the daily demands of work. 

In a blog post written about the event, Stephanie Gomez, community engagement and strategic partnerships officer at The California Wellness Foundation, discusses the critical importance of addressing burnout, fatigue and isolation in the workplace.

“The work of advancing health and racial equity can be exhausting, even more so in times like these as California copes with devastating wildfires and nonprofit leaders face the stress of a changing political environment,” she said.“The work of advancing health and racial equity can be exhausting, even more so in times like these as California copes with devastating wildfires and nonprofit leaders face the stress of a changing political environment.”

The California Wellness Foundation was launched in 1992 and has since become one of California’s largest public health philanthropic institutions. Each year, they award approximately $43 million in grants and program-related investments aimed at promoting health equity, justice and advocacy for communities and individuals whose well-being is often determined by factors such as race, income, immigration status or geographic location.

In the face of recent political challenges, the organization aimed to respond to community needs, such as navigating organizational stress or simply managing the weight of current events which have impacted several of the local organizations that depend on federal funding. 

Gomez spoke to CALÓ News afterwards, stating that the event was an overall success for the organization and grantee partners who attended, saying, “we saw so many happy faces and heard really positive feedback from attendees.”